Garment form



March 4, 1941. Q Q SPERRY 2,233,492

GARMENT FORM Filed June lO, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l .Y y f df TN: f

s. c. SPERRY GARMENT FORM Filed June l0, 1 938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHCE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a form on which garments may be stretched after being washed so as to avoid shrinkage and to preserve the pro-per shape and size of the garment. The invention represents an improvement over the garment form shown and described in my co-pending application Serial No. 175,214, led November 18, 1937.'

'Ihe garment form herein illustrated and described is preferably made principally of plates or boards of rigid, moisture-proof material which will not soften or warp when subjected to moisture. For example, composition boards such as are sold under the names Masonite and Agasote may be used, these materials being light in Weight, strong and waterproof. If -pree ferred, the parts may be made of molded plastic material having suitable characteristics of strength, rigidity and Water-resistance.

According to the present invention, a garment form is provided having arm members which are pivotally attached to a neck member so that they can be swung from a horizontal position to an uprightI position to facilitate the introduction of the upper portion of the form into a garment. When the arm members have been inserted into the sleeves of the garment, they may be swung down to their approximately horizontal position, whereupon the form will be in its proper shape.

Further advantageous features of structure will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention and from the illustration thereof on the drawings of which- Figure 1 is an elevational View of a form embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the parts of a two-piece arm member.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a one-piece arm member.

Figure 4- is an elevational view of the upper portion of the form shown in Figure 1, the parts being shown in a position to receive a garment.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the upper portion of the form folded up for packing.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig ure 1.

- Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view o1 portions of an arm member .and a side link.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the stretcher bar shown in Figure 1.

The form illustrated on the drawings consists essentially of a neck piece I0, a pair of arm members i2 and i4, a pair of side links I6 and I8,

a transverse waist member 20, a pair of elongated strips or skirt members 22 and 24 extending downwardfrom the waist member, and a stretcher bar 26 between the lower portions of the strips 22 and 24 to hold them apart. The 5 foregoing parts of the form are preferably made of rigid composition board or molded plastic which is waterproof and not subject to warping when exposed to moisture. The neck piece I may consist of a small piece of board of rectanl0 gular or other desired shape having two horizontal slots 30 and 32 and a vertical slot 34. The arm members I2 and I4, which, more properly, are combined arm and, shoulder members, are pivoted at their inner ends to the neck piece I0. l For this purpose, a pair of rivets or eyelets 36 and 38 may be employed as p-ivot elements, these elements extending through the slots and 32, respectively, and being adjustably slidable therein to adjust the arm members l2 and I4 toward or 20 from each other. The eyelets 36 and 38, as indicated in Figure 6, also pass through the end portions of a pair of respective strips 40 and 42, these strips being pivotally joined together at their other ends as by a 4bolt 44 riding in the slot 34 and having a nut 46 thereon by which it may be secured in adjusted position. When the nut 4S is loosened, the bolt 44 may be pushed up or down in the slot 34, the toggle action of r the links 40 and 42 resulting in a correspond- 0 ing displacement of the eyelets 36 and 38 toward or from each other.

Suitable suspension means may be provided for the form von the neck piece l0. As shown, an aperture 48 is provided which can receive a 35 hook or other supporting element. If desired, a loop 50 of cord may be passed through the aperture 48 to facilitate hanging the form on a stationary hook or peg.

The arm members I 2 and i4 may be made of two pieces of board as indicated in Figure 2 or of a single piece as indicated in Figure 3. The parts of the two-piece structure are pivotaliy joined as at 52 by a rivet or eyelet so as to permit the two parts to be folded together for purposes of space economy for packing, as indicated in Figure 5. When the outer portion of the arm member is swung out to its position for use, it is held in such position by suitable stop means such as a lug 54 secured in one portion of the arm member and engaging the adjacent end edge of the other part of the arm member. If desired, a notch 56 may be provided in such end edge to receive the lug.

The waist member 2li is preferably adjustable 55 DD i in length. To this end, the member may consist of three pieces of board, namely, a pair of hip pieces 60 and 62 connected by a horizontal bar 64. The parts 60 and 62 may have horizontal slots 66 and 68, respectively, in which ride a pair of lugs 10 and l2 secured to the end portions of` the bar 64. Thin metal plates 'I4 and 16 are secured to the parts 60 and 62, respectively, these plates having bolts I8 and 80 extending therethrough and also through respective slots 82 and 84 in the bar 64. The bolts 18 and 80 are provided with nuts by which the plates 14 and I6 may be securely clamped in adjusted positions to the bar 64. Thus the parts 60 and 62 may be adjusted toward -or from each other Without dis-` turbing their angular relation to the bar 64 and` I6 and I8 pull downward on the arm members I2 and I4 and thus tend to rock them downwardly about the pivots 36 and 38. To limit such rocking movement to the position shown in Figure 1, suitable stop means are provided. As shown, such stop means may consist of pins IIJO and |02 secured to the arm members and-adapted to engage an edge portion of the respective links I6 and I8. These links may be provided with laterally extending lugs I04 and I06, respectively, to be engaged by the'stop pins I00 and |02. Since the pivot pins and 92 are between the ends of the respective arm members I2 and I4, the shoulder portions of these members, together with the neck piece I0, will move into a position between the links I6 and I8 When the arm members are swung to their upright positions as indicated in Figure 4. This facilitates the insertion of the form into a garment which has been washed, or, what amounts to the same thing, the pulling of a garment over the form. When the sleeves of the garment have been pulled over the arm members I2 and I4, these members can then be swung down to their outwardly extended positions as shown in Figure 1, the side links I6 and I8 being thereby rocked to an upwardly7 diverging relation suitable for blocking the upper` body portion of the garment.

If the garment to be blocked has a skirt portion, this may be formed on the lower part of the form, such lower part consisting of the rigid skirt pieces 22 and 24 which are preferably removably attached to theparts 60 and 62 of the waist member by snap-button fasteners IIO and II2, respectively, or other Suitable detachable means. The skirt members 22 and 24 are preferably provided along their innr opposed edges With series of notches II4 and II6 adapted to be entered by pins II8 and |20 on the end portions `of the spreader vbar 26. This bar is preferably adjustable in length and for that purpose may be made of two overlapping pieces which overlap and are slotted to receive suitable means, such as a bolt and nut I22, to clamp the two parts of the spreader bar together in adjusted position, as indicated in Figure 9. By means of the several notches I I4 and I I6, the distance of the spreader bar 26 from the waist member 20 may be adjusted according to the length of the skirt of the garment, so that the hem of the skirt can be secured to the spreader bar to prevent longitudinal shrinking of the skirt.

It is evident that various modifications and changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit or lscope thereof as defined in the following claims. j

I claim:

1. A form for a garment, comprising a neck member, two arm members pivoted at their inner ends to said neck member, means for adjustably shifting said ends toward and from each other, a pair of side links pivotallyvattached attheir upper ends to respective arm members at points between the ends thereof, stop means on Veach arm member engageable by the corresponding link to limit the extent of rocking movement of said arms from an upright to an approximately horizontal position, and a waist member pivotally attached to the lower ends of said side links.

2. In a form for a garment, a neck piece, a pair of spaced pivot elements carried by said neck piece, a pair of arm members rockable aboutsaid respective pivot elements from upright positions to laterally extending positions, means for ad-I justing said pivot elements toward and from each other, said means including a pair of toggle links having said pivot elements at their free ends, and means for securing said toggle links in adjusted position, a pair of side elements pivotally attached to said arm members `respectively at points spaced from said pivot elements, and a Waist member pivotally attached to both of said side elements.

3. In a form for a garment, a neck member comprising a piece of composition board having a central vertical slot and a pair of -alined horizontal slots therein, a toggle member consisting of a pair yof links and a common pivot element connecting said links and adjustably secured in the vertical slot, a pair of arm members, and a pivot element connecting an end of each toggle link With an end of a corresponding armrmember, the pivots for the arm members being slidable in respective horizontal slots yhen the toggle pivot is shifted in` the vertical slot.

SETH C. SPERRY. 

